Sway
by Jessy E
Summary: Primarily a Romance with some Action later I hope. Fred and Hermione form an unlikely bond as he recovers from past disappointments and she learns to step out of other's perception of her and into how she wants to live her own life.
1. Arrival at the Weasley's

Sway

Chapter One: Arrival at the Weasley's

"Ronald! Wake up for goodness sake, they will be here at any minute!" Mrs. Weasley threw up her hands and sighed loudly. "O I give up!" With that exclamation, Molly Weasley turned around and hustled her plump frame out of her youngest son's attic bedroom.

On her way back down to the kitchen, Mrs., Weasley's fifth oldest son (The older ones being: Bill, Charlie, Percy, and George), Fred met her on the stairs as she muttered angrily to herself.

"Mum, is everything all right?" Asked Fred in a nervous manner as he pressed himself against the railing of the third floor staircase. He was slightly frightened by is mother's insistent muttering. He caught snippets of what she was saying like 'lazy' and 'when I get him' and 'his son'.

"Of course I'm not!" Molly threw her hands up so violently; Fred had to steady himself against the rickety railing behind him. "Ronald refuses to wake himself up. Even though! Even though I have spent hours slaving over the modifications on Ginny's room for HIS friend Hermione and making sure there is plenty of food for Harry (the poor malnourished dear!), also HIS friend. The boy cannot even listen to his only mother when she says get up!" With that, Molly continued to pound down the stairs without even waiting from a response from Fred.

After allowing himself a few minutes to recover from the scare his mother had given him he smiled to himself and continued up the stairs. Instead of going to his room on the fourth floor, however, Fred continued straight up to Ron's room. Once he got there he knocked lightly and entered when he received a loud snore as his only response. Once inside the orange inferno, Fred thought for a minute. He smiled again, this time in a devilish manner that would have sent Lucifer himself running for the hills. He pointed his wand (Oak, 10 in, Dragon heartstring core) at his own throat. He muttered a spell and then pointed it at Ron. Simultaneously he shouted "Ronald!" in a voice identical to Hermione Granger's and poured water from the tip of his wand onto Ron's face.

"What the bloody hell!" shouted Ron as he shot up from his bed. His room, of course, was an attic room so when he did this Ron was rewarded for his laziness by hitting his head against his own ceiling. As he angrily cried out and gripped his head where a knot was already forming Fred snickered.

"Mum wanted you awake 15 minutes ago so be happy if a bonk on the head s the worst thing you receive this morning!" With that Fred promptly about faced and heading towards the family room and the fire place where he could hear excited voices.

"I am so sorry dears, " Mrs. Weasley could be heard above Ginny's squealing and Arthur's hearty hellos, "Ronald simply refuses to wake up. He is being so rude. Harry, being a boy simply smiled at Mrs. Weasley and turned to George who was attempting to show him designs for a trick toy broom stick he wanted to manufacture and sell at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop he co-owned with his twin brother Fred. Hermione, however, looked upset.

"Well how wonderful of him then! Can't get up a whole thirty minutes before noon to greet his guests!" It wasn't a personal injury; Hermione honestly felt Ronald was being a downright rude human being! Something punishable by extreme measures in her book. By this time though, Fred had made his way into the group and he looked down at Hermione's petite 5'2 frame and replied, "don't worry Hermione, I took care of him. He should be down here any minute now since he's already had a shower." Fred sealed his statement with a wink which caused Hermione to giggle before her attention was claimed by Ginny.

Later that evening, Fred found himself sitting alone (a rare phenomenon when one is the sibling 6 other children) in the quiet backyard of his usually bustling house. Ginny was out with some friends whose company Hermione had declined shortly after her arrival saying she preferred to relax at The Burrow. Ginny would be home soon though. She had said she would be home by dinner at her mother's request. Harry and Ron were, predictably, playing quidditch at the far end of the Weasley property and George he knew was at a big meeting with some potential large-scale buyers. He had not asked Fred to come and Fred had not volunteered. It had only been a couple of years since they received the means to open up their joke shop and it was becoming painfully obvious to both that Fred simply was loosing interest in that career. He was, after all, 19. He could still do so much. As he lamented on the rareness of his solitude, someone interrupted it.

He heard the sliding screen door before he saw Hermione and it was as she was sliding said screen closed that Fred looked up and noticed her. Or, rather, he noticed her rather shapely backside before she turned around and greeted him with a smile.

Hermione was 17 now and she looked every bit of it. She was only 5'2, but had a beautifully shaped figure. Her brown eyes were warm and laughing and her crazy brown hair was now in soft waves almost half down her back. Fred strongly suspected magic was involved in this and he was, of course, correct although Hermione would never admit it. She was really worth looking at if one had the time. She was gorgeous.

She wrapped her gray, light cotton sweater tightly around her small shoulders and waist before sitting down across from Fred.

Fred was dashing! He was 19 and 6'2. His red hair was shaggy, but well kept and his blue eyes were always smiling. He had freckles everywhere on his pale face and strong arms that sported a farmer's tan. He had gotten gene's mostly from his mother's side of the family meaning he was good looking, strong, and tall. And boy did he know it!

"Ron told me how you woke him up before him and Harry ran off to put their lives in danger." Hermione broke the peaceful if not slightly awkward silence between her and Fred with a huge grin as she settled more securely into her lawn chair.

"Did he now?" The same devilish smile from this morning was back on Fred's handsome face. "Didn't know you had so much sway, did you Hermione?"

Hermione frowned at his light teasing and her shoulders visibly tensed underneath her sweater.

Fred sobered and suddenly felt awful for making her feel awkward. "You, however, don't want to have such 'sway' do you?"

Hermione looked back at him for a few minutes. Calculating whether or not she wanted to enter into such a conversation with Fred Weasley. Whilst Hermione and Fred had always been friendly they had never been exceptionally close and Fred, being aware of this kept his expression as open as possible. If she wanted to talk to him about it fine, it not that was fine too, but he wanted her to know the choice was hers and since he brought up, it was up to her to finish the conversation or not.

Having decided it was all right to trust him with what seems like frivolous, but is sensitive information all the same Hermione responded simply, "No."

Fred couldn't say he was all that surprised. It was after all, what everyone expected, her and Ron. Fred had found out the hard way, through lies and heartbreak, people rarely live up to your expectations. In order to end the serious moment that had brought on Fred's dark brooding he asked, "Then who, may I ask, Miss Granger do you want to have 'sway' with?"

Hermione laughed again and Fred found he rather liked the sound. "Honestly, no one." She said through more chuckles. "What about you, Mr. Weasley? Hmm? Who do you want to have 'sway with?"

For a very brief moment Fred considered saying 'you' partly to throw her off and partly because he though for a brief moment it might be true. This startled him so he cockily responded with, "Everyone."

"Well good luck with that then," said Hermione, "Goodness knows you will need it!" With that she lifted herself off of her plastic lawn chair nearly tripped and said good-bye to Fred by claiming she was going to go and see if Mrs. Weasley needed help in the kitchen.


	2. Good Morning!

Sway

Chapter 2: Good Morning!

Author's Note: Hey hey! Thanks to those of you who have reviewed. I like this story. It is coming along nicely and I am now inspired to pick up my other story called Moving Forward starring Ginny Weasley so if you like this go check out that one too and an update should be coming up this week. But this is the story we are focusing on right this moment so enjoy and please R&R!

The next morning dawned bright and… late for those occupying the Weasley household. After staying up late and reminiscing as well as catching up, everyone had gotten a late start and seeing as it was Saturday it mattered little.

The only two people up before twelve were Hermione, of course, and Fred Weasley. Hermione was up at 8 simply out of habit. She hated wasting her day with sleeping and going to bed at 2 am that morning was certainly not going to start the habit of sleeping in.

Hermione woke up and commenced with her usual routine. She made some coffee, which proved difficult in Mrs. Weasley's magical coffee pot. The pot sang every setting you punched in and refused to make decaf calling it the 'anti-coffee'. After coffee she went for a jog around the Weasley's immense backyard where she encountered the other early bird-Fred.

Hermione slowed her pace and gazed thoughtfully at Fred. He had not seen her yet as his back was to her. He was sitting on a rock near a small spring that ran the back edge of the Weasley yard. She smiled when he skipped a rock and slumped his shoulders when it only made two jumps.

"Good Morning Fred!" She greeted enthusiastically.

Fred jumped at the sound of her voice. He did not normally wake up this early, but this morning he had found he could not sleep. It was June 29th and should have been his wedding day to Katie Bell who had been in his year while they were in school as well as a chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team. They had picked this day because it also would have been the three year anniversary of their dating. But no, it hadn't worked out that way.

"Hermione you scared me!" Fred held one hand to his franticly beating heart and pretended to look horrified, but he was really just giving himself a chance to look her up and down. It may have been a sad day for him, but Fred was, after all, a man and to be fair Hermione really was a vision in her tight black tank top that rose above her belly button, showing off her abs, and the short adidas running shorts that also showed off her toned legs.

"Sorry," and she gave him a grin that let Fred know she was not sorry in the least, but rather amused.

Then a silence fell. So to break it Fred asked, "What are you doing up so early?"

Hermione shrugged. "This is what I always do! I hate wasting my days."

"O." That was all Fred said, but he smiled nonetheless because he could understand although this might have been a day he would have liked to sleep in. Less of the day he was awake to think. Then he continued right when Hermione had been about to excuse herself to continue running, "Want to come back to the house with me? I expect no one is awake yet, not even mum, so I can make you breakfast." He said it a completely off hand tone like it didn't matter, but truth be told Fred really needed the company to keep him from brooding some more.

"No," responded Hermione and his face fell. "But," she continued, "As soon as I finish this lap I will come in and we can eat together. I'll even help you cook!"

"Alright," agreed Fred and he smiled big at her. Smiling. He found he did that a lot around her and it almost made him feel stupid except for it felt so good to be comfortable enough _too smile_ with another woman. Even if she his little brother's best friend and therefore of no romantic connection or interest.

15 minutes later Hermione walked through the same screen door from the previous night to find a breakfast of pancakes already laid out for her and Fred. "Well! I am impressed Fred! I didn't know you could cook."

"Ya, well… It's funny the things you don't know about people, isn't it?" He shoveled some bacon onto both of their plates. He went to the ice box to get some juice continuing on as if he had not said something profound and sad.

Hermione had not missed it, however, so she spent the time Fred was busying himself with juice to decide whether or not to ask him about it. Hermione was inqusitive by nature so of course she asked once he had sat down to her right, laying his napkin across his lap and picking up a fork. "What made you say that?"

Fred stopped with a forkful of pancakes halfway to his mouth and answered her question with one of his own. "What makes me say what?"

"The thing about not knowing people."

"O that." Fred was silent for a minute, then he continued. "Well, it's true. For example. You, Miss Granger who are very intelligent and a great asset to all things ahem Phoenix related when it comes to divulging information from people did not know I could cook, did you?"

Hermione nodded, admitting without words that he was correct. She also gave a sad smile at the mention of her job at the order. Hermione was excellent at reading people. More often then not she was called to observe people and divulge if they were lying or not. It was a hard job in that she sometimes felt like she was betraying people. Even those she did know. Looking into their eyes and telling what they were really feeling.

The rest of there private breakfast was a cheerful affair. They made small talk and joked until the dishes were put away, having been washed by those who had used them. It was now only ten o'clock and other members of the household had to make an appearance so continuing on the conversation was no inconvenience to either Fred or Hermione. While putting away a final piece of cutlery Hermione asked, "How is the shop going?"

Fred grew quiet for the second time that morning and it was beginning to make Hermione feel awful. She felt like she was the cloud that was always hiding the sun on some days in the way he instantly stopped smiling and his eyes clouded over when she said certain things. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"And here, Miss ganger is where you learn something else I am all to familiar with. People change."

This confused Hermione so she told him this and he continued.

"You will be the only person to know this and I can't believe I am telling you this, but! I do not want to run a joke shop anymore."

Now this Hermione had really not been expecting. This was Fred! What else could he do? Instantly Hermione was ashamed of thinking like this. It was such a judgmental and stereotypical. Although he was a prankster, she knew for a fact that Fred Weasley received high marks in school. Despite low OWLS he received many NEWTS when he went back to Hogwarts for his WQD, Wizard Qualification Degree, very similar to that of a muggle GED.

"What is it you want to do then Fred?" Hermione asked finally.

"I don't know exactly. All I know is, I want it to count. I want to make a difference. Not juts in the order either, but in my everyday life." He puffed up his chest proudly at the end of his answer as if daring her to tell him he couldn't do it.

Hermione stepped across the tiny kitchen, pushing of the counter she had been leaning on during this conversation with impressive grace if one compares it to how she stood up from her chair the other night. Hermione really was something of a klutz for all her perfection. She placed her comparatively small hand on Fred's cheek, looked him in the eye and said, "You will."

She said it with such conviction that Fred just stood there for a moment, rooted to the spot with her hand still on his face. He stared at her intently thinking, 'What happened to the bookworm? Where did this self-assured, confident in herself and everyone else woman come from?' He reached up and placed his hand on her where it was still on his face and then suddenly Mrs. Weasley burst into the kitchen.

"O my goodness! I cannot believe I-o hello Fred, Hermione. I am so sorry for keeping you waiting! How about some breakfast! Never mind, lunch?"

She looked so upset and so apologetic that Hermione and Fed forgot about their own moment and Hermione kindly offered Mrs. Weasley a gentle explanation of her and Fred's morning meal, telling her it was all right she slept in and she deserved a good sleep while Fred silently snickered a his mother and slipped out onto the porch.


	3. Weasley Wizard Whiners

Sway

Chapter 3: Weasley Wizard Whiners

Later that afternoon found Fred sitting quietly embarrassed in his own room reading a pamphlet sporting the title: "Now What?" It was exactly what it sounded like; a life planning guide and Fred had received it from Percy of all places. Percy Weasley had actually given one pamphlet to each of his twin brothers in his ongoing campaign against their chosen line of work. He had gotten them from the career-counseling center at the ministry of magic where he worked. George had thrown his away then and there, but Fred had kept his citing it as too unimportant to even bother throwing away.

This was how George found him though the pamphlet was cleverly transfigured to look like a graphic novel. Fred wasn't big on reading so he didn't think a book would have been believable should he have been discovered. George walked into the bedroom that used to be Bill's and threw a large pile of paperwork down on Fred's lap rather unceremoniously, looking around the room with evident disdain.

Fred and George had mutually agreed to separate, finally opting for separate bedrooms when Fred became engaged to Katie. It had been a joke about Fred and Katie needing privacy that made Molly gasp in horror as well as an attempt to get used to not living together, but when Fred had refused to move back into the bedroom he had shared with his twin following his break up with Katie, claiming he liked his space, George had been less understanding.

Fred simply looked up at George and raised his eyebrows.

"This is a first draft of the contract I managed to score with Everyday Living Costume Emporium. They are based in Germany and want to carry our brand of joke supplies. They insisted that though they trusted my word to be good as far as your acceptance of terms went, for legal reasons they want separate signatures."

Fred nodded slowly. "All right I'll look over it and let you know what I think."

"Let me…let me…Let me know what YOU THINK!" George leaped off the edge of the bed where he had taken a seat while explaining to Fred about the small forest he had dropped on his legs. "You haven't thought anything in months! Why, our last big seller was purely your invention and you had nothing to do with the patent proceedings! Now suddenly you want to delay _my _business plans!"

Fred had to admit that George had a completely valid point and he also did not miss the emphasis on George's "my", but there was absolutely no point in trying to explain what he had just read. There was a brief section on being unhappy with a current career and it had advised to do as well as you can in your current job while you search for what to do next for the simple reasons that a) you still needed to make a living while finding yourself and b) potential new employers may want to speak with your old boss before hiring you. Explaining this would mean admitting that Fred was considering leaving the joke shop and he was not prepared to say that with finality or say it to George so Fred responded with, "Well…I still need to protect my investments!"

George glared at Fred and left the room without saying a word.

~*~*~*~*~*

"Goodness Harry looks amazing up there on that broom." Ginny gazed up at the sky sadly, following the pattern of her ex-boyfriends flight.

Hermione just nodded. She knew in flight was one of the few places Harry felt free and his skill really did make it a sight worth seeing.

Ron, Harry, and Ginny had decided to go and play quidditch after lunch and Hermione as usual was completely content to grab a book and sit in the stands or in this case on a hill over looking the orchard they were playing in. After about half an hour of flight Ginny had opted to join Hermione as a spectator.

"I miss him." Ginny placed her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"I know, Gin." Hermione dog-eared the page of the Jane Austen novel she was reading. "Just remember why he did it. He really does care about you, it's just…"

"I know."

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron had stopped throwing their homemade quaffle and were having a heart to heart in midair in a way that only boys can manage-with as few words as possible.

"She's beat up over you mate." Ron nodded down to where Ginny was now reading over Hermione's shoulder.

"I know. I loved her Ron, but I've got to complete the mission first."

"Don't yank her around… you're my mate but I'll still beat you." Ron suddenly changed gears. "What do you think she's thinking about?" Harry knew he meant Hermione, but before he could offer a guess, Ron continued, "Its funny isn't it? The way there is so much going on now? With Dumbledore gone and Hermione an agent for the order while you do your world savior thing and I try and pass my NEWTs. We're just all over the place! How can one go about relating to a girl who's already marbles, but gets worse as her responsibilities increase and who won't ever turn down a new responsibility!"

Harry stared. This was a thought provoked Ron he had rarely encountered and now he was at a loss for what to say in response. It threw him off and with so much already out of his hands he chose to change the mood all together. Suddenly he grinned wickedly and said, "Let's go find Fred and George."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Fix it!"

Fred just about fell off of his bed when he heard a possibly female growl from his door way.

There was Hermione with bright green hair. It was also sticking straight up. Fred snickered. Hermione glared.

Ron and Harry, with George's help had managed to hex Hermione using a special one-time use wand that George and Fred had invented. It came with a specific spell built in, but saved the spell caster from saving incriminating evidence on their own wand Ginny was in the shower when these events were being planned and as neither of her brother's were willing to go there and Harry was too scared of the Weasley height and quidditch muscle to mention his lack of family relation and therefore eligibility to enter into a naked situation with Ginny, so she was spared.

"I see you have recently been to a stylist." To his credit, Fred kept a straight face. Partly to keep up the joke with Hermione and partly to hide his hurt that George had not bothered to inform him of the plan when he knew exactly where he was.

"You are going to find yourself recovering from a visit with an anatomy reconstructive specialist if you do not immediately fix this." Hermione looked lethal. She had been having such a peaceful day starting with her run, followed by breakfast with Fred and sitting in the orchard. Now that she had been pranked she was finding it difficult to remain calm. She couldn't even lean her head back and count to ten because of the new shape her hair had acquired.

Fred had no idea if such an occupation truly did exist, however, Hermione really did look angry and he knew her temper well so he quickly muttered the counter curse (available only in a sold separately antidote and reversal kit for those unable to survive the time most of their joke material required to wear off) and Hermione's shoulders visibly relaxed and she quickly twisted her long hair into a braid hoping Fred hadn't noticed anything.

But he had. Leaping from his bed before Hermione had fully turned around, Fred slammed the door shut and locked it as he simultaneously yanked out the hair tie keeping the younger witch's braid intact.

Hermione's hair was pin straight.

"Uh…" Hermione stuttered. She was simultaneously completely impressed with Fred's agility and speed, disgusted with her lack of it despite her obsession with fitness, and dumb struck at having been found out. At least her anger was gone thought Fred.

The truth was that pin straight hair was not a huge deal at all. Granted Fred thought that without the waves that had now been revealed to be artificial pulling it back, Hermione's face was framed appealingly by the layers in her hair, but overall hair texture was not a huge concern for either member of the magical community currently locked in Fred's room.

"You look different," offered Fred stupidly in an effort to get an explanation.

Hermione slumped against the wall and told Fred the story assuming she would be freed no other way, which was correct. In her first year, she had attempted a spell to give her straight hair some curls and it had resulted in the bushy mass she became infamous for. As an eleven year old, any recognition really had been nice so Hermione had kept it up even after she had perfected the curling spell to do it right. As she got older, Hermione admitted to growing tired of the bushy headed image, but not wanting to admit to vanity or that she had ever botched up a spell, Hermione had gradually decreased the frizz until it was just waves and she was able to chalk it up to the natural physical maturation process.

Fred howled with laughter. And he was laughing for precisely all of the reasons Hermione had never wanted to confess about her hair in the first place. Hermione squared her shoulders and demanded that Fred stop laughing after three minutes of it. And to his credit, he did though frequent snickers continued.

"Fine, Frederick. Let's be fair. What's something you've never told anyone?"

Fred stopped laughing completely now and stared hard at Hermione. For the most part he was an open book, but suddenly he wanted Hermione to share a secret of his so he picked the only one he had though granted it was a brand new addition to the store of facts about Fredrick Bartholomew Weasley. "I am going to be an Auror."


End file.
